Sage Laborde Thompson US Government May 2, 2011 Preliminary: The Senate Profile Patty Murray What is your background? (family, education, previous political experience) Education: Attended Yale Family: - Married - 3 children Previous political experience: - Senator of Washington State since 1992 What is your political party? Democratic Party What state do you represent? Washington State How many terms have you served? How close was your last election? - Ran in 1992 - Won against a 10-year U.S. House of Representative - Re-elected in 1998, 2004, 2010 What is your approach to representation? What committees do you serve on in Congress? Are you a leader? - Department of Housing and Urban Development’s http://murray.senate.gov/public/index.cfm?p=Home o Increase housing counseling o Increase housing services o Increase funds for Community Development Block Grants o Homeless veterans housing - Health care o Doctors have started to close their offices o Many doctors refuse to see new patients o Murray is trying to increase salaries o Supports funding for “rural health clinics” § Co-sponsored the Nurse Reinvestment Act - Post Traumatic Stress Disorder and Traumatic Brain Injury o Believes those suffering should receive quality health care o Helped pass the Dignified Treatment of Wounded Warriors bill o Helped pass the Joshua Omvig Suicide Prevention Act - PTA member and a school board president o Takes interest in widening education o Increase educated o Sponsored a bill that helped school gain teachers to reduce class size o Tries to increase Pell grants (make college cheaper) - First woman to serve on the Senate Veterans Affiars Committee o First woman to Chair the Senate Veterans Affairs Committee - SAFE Ports Act o Makes improvements to port and cargo security - Violence Against Women Act of 1994 o Helped reauthorize in 2000 and 2005 - She’s environmental - She loves her community - She believes strongly in the idea of women’s rights What are your major issue areas? - Health care - Education - Women’s rights Who’s going to be your staff?
Particular work for the women: Health Care: Direct Access to OB/GYNs - Insurances (sometimes) require women to see a physician before seeing a gynecologist - Murray believes women should have direct access to a gynecologist o Supports creating a “Patient’s Bill of Rights” FEMALE PRIORITIES: - Increase access to reproductive health services - Support policies that decrease unintended pregnancies - ALL WOMEN ARE TO MAKE THEIR OWN DECISIONS ABOUT THEIR OWN BODIES FEMALE ACCOMPLISHMENTS: - Increased funding for the National Family Planning Program (Title X) o Supported legislation which would restore family planning clinics’ access to discounted medications (like contraceptives) - Pushed the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to make a decision on creating Plan B. o Available over the counter and introduced legislation to increase awareness of emergency contraception. - Introduced legislation about the economic barriers that keep victims in abusive relationships and fought for increased funding for the Violence Against Women Act.
Sage Laborde
Thompson
US Government
May 2, 2011
Preliminary: The Senate Profile
Patty Murray
What is your background? (family, education, previous political experience)
Education: Attended Yale
Family:
- Married
- 3 children
Previous political experience:
- Senator of Washington State since 1992
What is your political party?
Democratic Party
What state do you represent?
Washington State
How many terms have you served? How close was your last election?
- Ran in 1992
- Won against a 10-year U.S. House of Representative
- Re-elected in 1998, 2004, 2010
What is your approach to representation?
What committees do you serve on in Congress? Are you a leader?
- Department of Housing and Urban Development’s http://murray.senate.gov/public/index.cfm?p=Home
o Increase housing counseling
o Increase housing services
o Increase funds for Community Development Block Grants
o Homeless veterans housing
- Health care
o Doctors have started to close their offices
o Many doctors refuse to see new patients
o Murray is trying to increase salaries
o Supports funding for “rural health clinics”
§ Co-sponsored the Nurse Reinvestment Act
- Post Traumatic Stress Disorder and Traumatic Brain Injury
o Believes those suffering should receive quality health care
o Helped pass the Dignified Treatment of Wounded Warriors bill
o Helped pass the Joshua Omvig Suicide Prevention Act
- PTA member and a school board president
o Takes interest in widening education
o Increase educated
o Sponsored a bill that helped school gain teachers to reduce class size
o Tries to increase Pell grants (make college cheaper)
- First woman to serve on the Senate Veterans Affiars Committee
o First woman to Chair the Senate Veterans Affairs Committee
- SAFE Ports Act
o Makes improvements to port and cargo security
- Violence Against Women Act of 1994
o Helped reauthorize in 2000 and 2005
- She’s environmental
- She loves her community
- She believes strongly in the idea of women’s rights
What are your major issue areas?
- Health care
- Education
- Women’s rights
Who’s going to be your staff?
Particular work for the women:
Health Care:
Direct Access to OB/GYNs
- Insurances (sometimes) require women to see a physician before seeing a gynecologist
- Murray believes women should have direct access to a gynecologist
o Supports creating a “Patient’s Bill of Rights”
FEMALE PRIORITIES:
- Increase access to reproductive health services
- Support policies that decrease unintended pregnancies
- ALL WOMEN ARE TO MAKE THEIR OWN DECISIONS ABOUT THEIR OWN BODIES
FEMALE ACCOMPLISHMENTS:
- Increased funding for the National Family Planning Program (Title X)
o Supported legislation which would restore family planning clinics’ access to discounted medications (like contraceptives)
- Pushed the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to make a decision on creating Plan B.
o Available over the counter and introduced legislation to increase awareness of emergency contraception.
- Introduced legislation about the economic barriers that keep victims in abusive relationships and fought for increased funding for the Violence Against Women Act.